Middle School Social Studies
GRADE 6
Ancient Civilizations
World History
- Compare ancient civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Hebrew, Phoenician, and Persian) in terms of:
-The development of social, political, and economic patterns
-The development of religious traditions
-The development of language and writing
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient civilizations in terms of their impact on
-The contributions of philosophers
-The contributions of scientists, mathematicians, inventors
-The contributions of artists, architects, writers
-The contributions of history, language, religious institutions, law, and government
- Analyze the reasons for the collapse of ancient civilizations
Civics/Government
- Describe and compare the different government structures and powers in ancient civilizations and western civilization
- Describe contributions of leaders (Menes, Alexander the Great)
Economics/Goods and Services
- Identify natural and human resources that shaped the development of civilizations
Geography
- Locate and identify by name the major countries in each region and the major rivers, mountain ranges, and surrounding bodies of water
- Describe how natural geographic features affected the development of ancient civilizations and western Europe
GRADE 7
Across the Centuries
World History
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate the history of ancient civilizations in terms of their impact on western civilizations
-The contributions of philosophers
-The contributions of scientists, mathematicians, inventors
-The contributions of artists, architects, writers
-The contributions of history, language, religious institutions, law, and government
- Analyze the reasons for the collapse of ancient civilizations
- Compare and contrast major religions from ancient civilizations (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism)
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate significant events of the Middle Ages in terms of its impact on western civilization
-The structure of feudal society
-The spread and influence of Christianity throughout Europe
- Analyze the historical developments of the Renaissance
-The role of trade and economic practices
-The role of art and artists (Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo, Shakespeare)
- Analyze the historical developments of the Reformation
-The beginnings of religious toleration and the spread of democracy
-The reason the movement formed and its’ effect on Christianity
Civics/Government
- Describe and compare the different government structures and powers in ancient civilizations, Renaissance, Middle Ages, and western civilization
- Describe contributions of leaders Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, and Henry VIII)
Economics/Goods and Services
- Identify natural and human resources that shaped the development of civilizations
Geography
- Locate and identify by name the major countries in each region and the major rivers, mountain ranges, and surrounding bodies of water
- Describe how natural geographic features affected the development of ancient civilizations and western Europe
GRADE 8
A More Perfect Union
U.S. History
- Trace the routes and evaluate early explorations of the Americas in terms of:
- The motivations, obstacles, and accomplishments of sponsors and leaders of key expeditions from Spain, France, Portugal, and England
- The political, economic, and social impact on the American Indians
- Describe sources of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution
- Describe the challenges faced by the new United States government, with emphasis on:
- The writing of a new Constitution in 1787 and the struggles over ratification and the addition of a Bill of Rights
- Conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton that resulted in the emergence of two political parties
Geography
- Locate on a United States map major physical features, bodies of water, exploration and trade routes
- Analyze how selected physical and ecological processes shaped settlement patterns
Civics/Government
- Describe life in the colonies in the eighteenth century from the perspective of large landowners, farmers, artisans, women and slaves
- Analyze the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights
- Describe the powers granted to the President, the Supreme Court, and those reserved to the states
- Compare national, state, and local governments, with emphasis on:
- The structures, functions and powers of the three levels
- The election and appointment of officials
- The division and sharing of powers among levels of government
World History
- Describe colonial America with emphasis on:
- The factors that led to the founding of the colonies (i.e., escape form religious persecution,
economic opportunity, release form prison, and military adventure)
- Describe the major military campaigns of the Revolutionary War and reasons why the colonies were able to defeat the British
United States History
- Describe the growth and change in America from 1801-1861, with emphasis on:
- Identify causes, key events, and effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction, with emphasis on:
- Economic and philosophical differences between the North and South
- The events leading to secession and war
- Describing the leaders on both sides of the Civil War including Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant,
Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Frederick Douglas, and William Lloyd Garrison
- Describing the critical developments in the Civil War including major battles, the Emancipation
Proclamation, and Lee’s surrender at Appomattox
- Describing life on the battlefield and on the home front
- Describing the impact of Reconstruction policies on the South
- Analyze the causes and effects of major events of the Civil War
- Explain how, following the Civil War, massive immigration, combined with rise of big business, heavy industry, and mechanized farming transformed American life, with emphasis on:
- Western settlement and changing federal policy toward Native Americans
- Growth of American cities, including the impact of racial and ethnic conflicts and the role of political machines
World History
- Describe the growth and change in America from 1801-1861, with emphasis on:
- Describing how territorial exploration, expansion, and settlement caused growth and change (Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, Texas, Oregon, and California Territories)
- Describing how the relationships between the European powers, especially the formation of the Monroe Doctrine, influenced westward expansion
Geography
- Develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to:
- Locate on a United States map major physical features, bodies of water, exploration and trade routes
- Identify the states that formed the Confederacy and the states that formed the union during the Civil War
- Chart major transportation pathways in westward expansion (railroads, canals, road)
- Compare physical and human characteristics of the North and South
- Explain the relationship between the need for natural resources and new markets and Imperialism (e.g., the Spanish-American War, the Panama Canal, Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big Stick Diplomacy”)
- Relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions
United States History
- Analyze and explain Americans’ response to industrialization and urbanization with emphasis on:
- Muckraking literature and the rise of the progressive movement
- Women’s suffrage and temperance movements, and their impact on society
- Child labor, working conditions and the rise of organized labor
- Summarize causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, with emphasis on:
- New inventions and industrial production methods
- New technologies in transportation and communication
- Incentives for capitalism and free enterprise
- The impact of immigration on the labor supply and the movement to organize workers
- Government policies affecting trade, monopolies, taxation, and money supply
- Expansion of international markets
Economics
- Describe growth and change in America from 1801-1861, with emphasis on:
- The impact of inventions, including the cotton gin, McCormick reaper, steamboat, and steam locomotive on life in America
- Development of money, saving, and credit
- Discuss the affect slave trade had on the United States economy
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